One of the most difficult aspects of managing any business, but especially a startup business, is finding the right people to staff your company. Especially in the first critical few years, being able to attract educated employees who fit in well and are willing to share your company’s vision is essential. Statistically speaking, disengaged employees, perform at 50% to 75% of the level of a satisfied and motivated employee and this potential performance loss of 25-50% translates into over $300 billion worth of lost productivity annually in the U.S. alone. Accordingly, the key question becomes how can a startup business find, retain, and integrate the right people?
A large part of vetting any candidate for a potential position in your new business will naturally happen during the recruitment/interview process. Unfortunately, considering the potential inexperience of a startup business with the recruitment process, properly vetting candidates can be difficult. In order to find the right candidates, a startup should:
- Be willing to explore and use all possible avenues to find qualified candidates, from personal networking and current employee contacts to social media outreach and head hunting.
- Find people who are motivated and have a passion for what they do.
- Understand that, although skills and previous experience are important, it is just as important to find someone who will be a good fit in your workplace and believes in your company.
- Realize that timing is everything. Desperately rushing to hire a candidate that isn’t the right fit can be just as detrimental as waiting too long to hire a candidate that is the right fit.
Hiring the right candidate for a position is only half the battle. After successfully signing an employee you must now aid in his/her integration in the workplace. After all, no matter how skilled an employee is, you will never get the best out of them unless they are made to feel like a part of the team. Recent employment data shows that companies in an industry that engages their employees have an EPS growth almost 4 times that of companies who don’t. Though there are numerous ways to engage with employees, such as a thorough feedback process, open discussion regarding job performance and expectations, and employment training and appreciation measures, they are all inherently based on free and open communication throughout the company.
From the initial post on a website of an open position, through the interview/hiring process, and finally to employee integration, communication is essential. Especially a new company and its management need to be able to communicate goals and expectations in a clear, understandable, and effective manner to their staff. To make the most of your employee search and integration – and to vastly expand your potential selection pool of applicants – let EVS Translations assist you in finding the right person for the job regardless of language.
